The Raven and The Phoenix
by Anawey
Summary: Helen Livingston is a Ravenclaw fifth-year from Northern Scotland. A talented young witch, she bites off a bit more than she can chew when she finds a book about how to teleport from one place to another, and ends up stuck in the Avatar's world with Zuko
1. Helen Livingston's Mixup

The Raven and The Phoenix

Helen Livingston is a Ravenclaw fifth-year from Northern Scotland. A talented young witch, she bites off a bit more than she can chew when she finds a book about how to teleport from one place to another, and ends up stuck in the Avatar's world with Zuko and Iroh. Starts off just a couple days before season 1.

Disclaimer; I own neither Harry Potter nor Avatar, or any of the songs that might appear in this. Helen, and a few others that only show up in chapter one are mine.

Helen Livingston's Mix-up  
XxX

Helen sighed, gazing out the window of the Ravenclaw common room at the rain-soaked grounds of Hogwarts, absently stroking Midnight's black fur as the cat purred. It was days like this that she felt really bored. There were never classes on Saturdays, and so the students usually went outside in the fall, but the thunderstorm had prevented even the ghosts from leaving the castle. She turned when she heard the footsteps on the stairs leading to the dormitories, and smiled at Sam, a sixth-year witch from Ireland, who inclined her head for Helen to come with her.

"You wanta come with me to the library, Helen?" the older girl offered. "I know you like your readin'."

Helen nodded, getting up from her seat by the window.

"Anythin' that gets me out of here," she muttered, smiling wryly as she followed Sam out the porthole and off to the library.

-

-

Sharp jade eyes scanned the bookshelves as Helen flicked a strand of wavy red hair out of her line of sight. _Is there nothin' interestin' in the place? _she wondered. The young witch continued on down the isle, looking at the different bindings on the many books, the titles all hardly important to her.

"Find anythin'?" Sam asked from the next isle over, where she was looking at old potions books.

"Nothin' of interest yet, but I'm sure _somethin'll_ crop up," Helen replied, not taking her eyes off the books in front of her. "There's gotta be _somethin' _in this place," she muttered, scanning the titles.

Finally, something did jump out at her.

"_'Teleportation in all it's Forms'_?" Helen frowned, and pulled out the book, flipping it open. "Looks like somethin' useful," she mused. "At least, I kin get an edge on that '_Lochraine'. _I've never heard a girl more pompous, an' full of 'erself than that _Slytherin _louse. The _real _Loch Ness Monster, that one is."

"Helen!"

Helen swung around at the voice, shoulder-length red hair whipping around.

"Hey, Hermione!" she greeted, smiling.

"Helem, will you be there for the 'meeting'?" Hermione asked, looking meaningfully at Helen.

The young Scot nodded.

"Of course I will. I can't let you Griffindors 'ave all the fun, now, can I?"

Hermione smiled.

"I'll see you there, then." And with that, she turned and left, a thick book clutched in one arm. Making her own decision, Helen took the telepotation book up to the counter, signing it out, then walking over to Sam's place by the window.

"I'm goin' back to the common room, Sam," Helen said. "I'll se ye later."

-

-

Back in the common room, Helen carefully opened the book as Midnight rubbed against her owner's legs.

"A'right," she muttered, again pushing back a strand of hair. "Let's see what I can do."

She thumbed through the book in silence. One of the chapters talked about space teleportation. She guessed going from one point to another. Pulling her wand from her pocket, she read the words once over in her head, then, flicking her wand, spoke them aloud.

"_Mi prendono per il mondo del Fuoco_!" she stated in a clear voice.

And suddenly she was spinning; floating and falling at the same time. She screamed, not liking the feeling at all. She tried to curl in on herself, and the next thing she knew, she was out of the swirling grey and slamming into something metal, knocking her out cold.

XxX  
That's the first chapter. The others will be longer, though. And the Italian means 'take me to the world of Fire'. Helen's a talented witch, but she's just a teen, and sometimes she doesn't always think things through. Or think 'hm, I don't know what this means, maybe I should find someone who does'. I hope to have a complete character sketch of her on dA soon. Review, please!


	2. Waking

Yay for chapter two!!

Waking  
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The first thing Helen realized was that she was in bed. _Must've passed out or somethin', _she thought, shifting slightly beneath the warm blankets. _Sam or somone found me an' put me in bed in the hospital wing. Better wake up an' thank her, then._

Zuko turned at the soft noise, and watched as the strange girl's eyes opened. She was like nothing he'd ever seen. Black robes over a strange looking tunic, and odd pants. She wore a strange fabric tie thing around her neck, deep blue with silver stripes, and there was a patch on the left chest of her robes of a raven. Her hair was a bright red, and wavy. But her green eyes marked her as some sort of Earth Kingdom girl, however weird her clothes were. She'd opened her eyes for a moment when he'd found her, and they were jade-colored, so he _knew _she was earth kingdom. _Maybe she can tell me something about the Avatar._

Helen opened her eyes slowly, expecting to see Sam, or Madame Pomfrey standing over her, looking worried, but all she saw was a low, metal ceiling; nothing like the high vaulted stone ones at Hogwarts. She sat up quickly, casting her glance around the room almost wildly. Something had gone wrong with that teleportation spell. She froze when her gaze landed on the boy looking at her from across the room.

"Oh, uh, I," she stuttered, then sighed. "Can ye help me? I'm not really sure quite were I am. D'ye know where London is?"

Zuko frowned. _'London'? _And the girl's accent was strange. It was thick, and her 'r's were more pronounced. _Maybe northern Earth Kingdom,_ he decided, pushing away from the wall he stood against, and moving closer to her.

"London?" he asked, trying to keep his eagerness from his voice - he didn't want her to know quite yet who he was; maybe she'd just tell him about the Avatar, thinking he was his friend. "Your home?"

"Nearly," Helen replied. "I spend the summer back up in Invernes, Scotland, with me mum and da. I only go to school in London. Though, that's were all my friends are."

"And where exactly is 'Invernes, Scotland'?" Zuko asked, not quite looking at her.

Helen suddenly had a strange sense of foreboding about the boy. He couldn't have been much older than her, but he looked so strange. She didn't know of anywhere where people still wore armor. And she'd never seen any like the boy's. It was red, with gold edging, and looked heavy. His hair was shaved to a diamond in the back of his head, and pulled into a ponytail that stood straight up from his head before the binding ended, and the long black strands fell to the base of his head. There was a look in his eyes - almost predatory - that made the young witch wary, and she found the strong desire to keep him in her sights, not letting him out of her vision. Discretely, she flet for her wand in the inside pocket of her robes, the cherry wood beneath her hands always comforting. It wasn't there!

"My wand!" Helen gasped. "Where's my wand?" She looked at Zuko, almost desperate. "Did you put is somwhere? It's a stick of wood, but it's mine, an' it's vera important, _WHERE IS IT_?!"

Helen glanced around frantically, before spotting it and her shoes by the foot of the bed. She leanded over and snatched her wand, sighing in relief as she muttered the acaram enflamare spell, the sight of the small, almost _alive _fire at the end of her wand comforting. She'd always found fire beautiful, and it gave her a sense of calm; always there when she needed it.

Zuko gasped and staggered back. _She's a firebender! _His mind registered shock. _I thought..._

"Oh, bloody _HELL_!!" Helen cried, realizing what she'd just done. "Magic in front of a muggle," she groaned, tears welling in her eyes. "I canna be kicked outa Hogwarts!" The witch dropped her head into her hands. "No, no, no!" she growled. "_Stupid, _Helen! I should've asked Sam ta translate that Italian! Now I'll have to turn in my wand an' _leave _Hogwarts..."

"What are you getting so worked up about, girl?" Zuko asked. "It's no big deal that you're a firebender. I am, too, see?" He held out his hand, ignighting a flame in his palm. Helen's eyes went wide.

"How'd you _do _that?" she gasped. "No wand at all or anythin'." Helen looked at him closely, shocked at his abilities.

"Wand?" Zuko asked, looking at her.

"Oh, don' tell me ye don' know what a wand is?" Helen's eyes were practically bugging out of her head. "Ye really don' know? An' you a wizard!"

"A what?" Zuko asked. He wasn't sure he liked the sound of the word 'wizard'.

"A male magic-user," Helen explained. "What school did you go to ta not know about wands?"

"I was taught at the palace in the Fire Nation," Zuko told her. "By firebending masters. I don't know what a 'wizard' is, but -"

Zuko and Helen both looked up when the door opened. An old man stood there, and in his arms...

"Midnight!" Helen cried. The black cat squirmed out of the man's arms, and bounded into Helen's. The old man smiled.

"I take it the little creature belongs to you, then," he guessed, watching the cat purr and rub against Helen's chest. Helen looked at him with grateful eyes.

"I didn' even know she'd come with me," she muttered. "Where'd you find her?"

"Around the same area my nephew Zuko here, found you," Iroh explained.

"Thank you," Helen smiled. "Thank you both. My name's Helen. Helen Livingston from Invernes Scotland."

"I'm Iroh, and this is Zuko, my nephew, who you seem to have met already." The old man smiled kindly, and Helen felt she could easilyget along with him. Not wanting to be left out, Midnight meowed pittifully, and gently batted Helen's chin. The witch snuggled the cat's chest.

"So, where is this 'Invernes' place, Miss Helen?" Iroh asked, looking at the girl. Helen shrugged.

"I'm guessin' another world, since your nephew here's never heard of Scotland or England," she explained.

"She's a firebender, Uncle," Zuko said, turning to the older man.

"Not a 'firebender'," Helen corrected, to a raised eyebrow from Zuko. "I'm a witch. I can control magic. Like this." She pointed her wand at one of her shoes, and flicked it. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she said clearly, and her shoe slowly followed the path of her wand. Iroh and Zuko stared at her, both with identical looks of pure shock.

"How did you -" Zuko started, his voice higher than normal.

"Like I said," Helen explained with a grin, "it's magic." She stood from the bed, and slid on her shoes. Zuko imidiately jumped in front of her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

"Outside, to see where I am," Helen shrugged, brushing past him, and out the door. Glancing around, all she could see past the railing, was ocean. She was on a ship in the midle of the ocean, and she didn't even know where. Several crew-members looked at her, some in mild indifference, others in open suspiciousness. The young witch frowned at them, then turned back to the ocean.

"Don't let them bother you, Helen," Iroh said kindly, coming to stand beside her. "They just aren't used to having a girl on board. But, in time, I'm sure they will get to like you. That is, of course, if you decide to stay? You're more than welcome."

Helen sighed.

"Where else can I go?" she muttered. "It's not like I know this world. It's so different from my own. I don' know anythin' about this place. An' thanks for offerin' me a place to stay. I don' like the idea of bein' on my own in some new place. And you and your nephew seem fairly nice, since I just met you an' all." Helen smiled warmly at Iroh.

"I should warn you, though," Iroh cautioned. "My nephew has quite a temper. You may find yourself on the recieving end of it one day, everyone on this ship has."

"I'll keep that in mind when I'm deciding whether or not I want to get up in the mornin' then," Helen laughed. "Thank you for lettin' me stay."

XxX  
Yeah, I know I'm making longer chapters for Treason, but I promise these chapters will get longer over time. Review, please!


	3. Going South

Hey everyone! Hope you guys like the new chapter! I don't own the words to 'Scotland the Brave', I just found them on line one day.

Going South  
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Helen stood at the front of the ship, watching as large icebergs began to appear on the horizon, and a cold wind blew against her, and she shivered. Turning, she walked to Iroh where he sat, training Zuko.

"Iroh," Helen asked, pulling her black robes tighter around herself, "where exactly are we goin'? It's getin' colder."

Iroh smiled. "We are headed to the South Pole, Helen," he explained.

"Why would we go there?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. "Last time I checked, fire doesna do verra well in the cold." She cast a swift side-long glance at Zuko. Since she'd made fire, the broody prince had seemed to accept her presence, and left it pretty much at that. Still, he was kind enough to have not gone against his uncle's offer and kick her off the ship. Needless to say, Helen was grateful, and it went against her morals to let anything bad happen to people who took care of her, and those she loved.

Helen smiled when a familiar purring reached her ears. She looked down to see Midnight rubbiing against her legs. The witch lifted the cat into her arms, and scratched her beneath the chin, just the way Midnight loved it.

"That Midnight is quite a loving creature," Iroh commented. Helen smiled lazily, destracted by her pet's soft fur.

"Aye, she's a verra good girl," she agreed. "I've had her since I first went to Hogwarts. They send ye a letter when ye turn eleven. That's the first year of trainin'. It's verra fun and excitin' the first time." She sighed wistfully, and looked out at the ocean. "What I wouldna to see Samie and the others again," Helen muttered.

-

-

Hours passed slowly by. Helen practiced her spells at the front of the ship, watching as the icebergs she'd seen that morning came closer and closer, until towering sheets of ice surrounded the ship. Behind her, she could hear Zuko still practicing his firebending. Sighing, she gazed down at the water below. Despite the distance, she could still see something of her reflection in the waves; a red-haired girl with light freckles, and green eyes. A true Scot. Born and raised in the Highlands, the song of Scotland was always in her heart, and she sang it now, in a soft, determined voice.

_"Hark when the night is fallin, hear, hear the pipes a'callin  
Loudly and proudly callin' down thru the glen  
There where the hills are sleepin', now feel the blood aleapin'  
High as the spirits of the old highland men!_"

_Towering in gallant fame, Scotland the mountain hame!  
High may your proud standards gloriously wave!  
Land of the high endeavour, land of the shining river,  
Land of my heart, forever, Scotland the brave!_

_High in the misty highlands, out by the purple islands,  
Brave are the hearts that beat beneath Scottish skies!  
Wild are the winds to meet you, staunch are the friends that greet you  
Kind as the light that shines from fair maidens eyes!_

_Towering in gallant fame, Scotland, my mountain hame!  
High may your proud standards gloriously wave!  
Land of the high endeavour, land of the shining river,  
Land of my heart, forever, Scotland the brave!_

_Far off in sunlit places, sad are the Scottish faces,  
Yearnin' to feel the kiss of sweet Scottish rain!  
Where tropic skies are beamin, love sets the heart adreamin',  
Longin' and dreamin' for the homeland again!_

_Towering in gallant fame, Scotland, my mountain hame!  
High may your proud standards gloriously wave!  
Land of the high endeavour, land of the shinin' river,  
Land of my heart, forever, Scotland the brave!"_

"Let me guess; your country's song?"

Helen jumped at the familiar voice, spinning around to find Zuko standing behind her.

"You miss it, don't you?" He stood beside her at the railling, just looking out at the snow and ice. "So do I."

"Why are you takin' the time to talk to me?" Helen asked, glancing side-long at the firebender.

"Because," he shrugged. "I see similarities, now. We're both far from home, with little chance of returning anytime soon."

"Och, ye're right there," Helen agreed, gazing back out over the water. "But for you, there's still a chance. You're in yer own world. I'm not."

"Does it matter?" the prince questioned, not looking at the witch beside him. "If I can't capture the Avatar, Helen, I'll be in the exact same position as you."

"Ye've mentioned the Avatar before," the young witch muttered. "What exactly _is _the Avatar."

"He's the only person that can bend all four elements," Zuko explained. "I have to capture him."

"But why?" Helen pressed, turning to look at the older teen. 'Why do you need him so bad? So you can help yer father end the war I've been hearin' about?"

"No," Zuko replied sharply. "So I can go home. I don't care about this stupid war. I haven't since the day I - It's not important." He turned to leave, but Helen grabbed his arm, and stopped him.

"You've lost someone," she whispered, her green eyes staring straight into his golden ones. "I know how that feels. I lost me grandda, me grandmum, _and _me big sister when I was three." Her head hung, and the hand not holding Zuko's wrist reached up to a necklace that had lain hidden beneath her shirt.

"I-I'm sorry," the firebender muttered, his eyes wide.

"Don' be," the witch replied, looking up at him with a wry smile. "The dirty rat's behind bars, now. He canna hurt anyone else. He was a Death Eater. A follower of Voldemort, the Dark Lord."

Zuko tilted his head, confused. "What do you mean?"

Helen glanced around, as if making sure no one was near. "When I was just a bairn, Voldemort was a powerful dark wizard. He killed thousands. The only one who ever survived the Avada Kedavra killing curse was a baby boy, my own age. His name was Harry Potter. I went to school with him the last five years. His mum sacraficed herself so he'd live. My family, well, my family wasna as lucky. When that bloody devil Belatrix showed up, me mum and da were out, leavin' me an' Moran with our grandparents. Grandda tried to protect us, but Belatrix killed him first. Then me grandma, and my sister out of spite. I still don' know why she left me alive. Maybe as a message to my parents. I don' know. I s'pose I never will, now. Who'd you lose?"

"My mother," Zuko replied, turning back to the sea.

"I'm sorry," Helen whispered. "I guess ye're right, Zuko. There _are _similarities between you an' me. We'll hafta watch out for eachother then."

"I can take care of myself," the firebender replied, keeping his gaze straight ahead. "You should sing that at Music Night. You have a good voice."

"Thank you," Helen mumbled, a faint blush on her cheeks. She'd always been shy about singing.

"Better than the soldiers, anyway." The prince cracked a slight smile. "They get drunk so fast. I'd watch out on music night, Helen. It's been almost three years since anyone on board's been near a woman."

Helen squirmed, and her blush deepened, her eyes going wide at Zuko's implications. Zuko smirked, and strode off, deciding that he'd gotten her back good enough for making him feel vulnerable and think of his mother again. Perhaps he could have fun on this misson of his. At least there'd be someone his own age to see on board.

Helen watched Zuko go, wondering what she should do to get him to come around a bit. He always seemed so broody, and silent. The witch was certain such an attitued was not healthy for someone maybe seventeen. She didn't know what had happened to make him so guarded, but she was determined to find out, and bring him out of himself, whether he wanted that or not. Sighing, she shook her head at his retreating back and returned to staring at the ocean below her. This was going to be a _long _trip, of that, Helen was completely certain.

XxX  
That's the chapter. Review please. And I figure Zuko would have maybe said something if he'd had anyone his own age on the ship. Whether he's broody or not, he's still a teenager, and every teenager has their moments. Anyway, I hope you liked it.


	4. Little Things

And now, chapter 4! yay!

Little Things  
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Zuko woke to something wet and cold against his nose. He opened his eyes to see a black face - Midnight - sniffing him. Startled by the cat's appearance, Zuko bolted up, causing Midnight to jump from the bed with a dejected meow. She'd only been looking for a little attention, after all. After a moment of sulking in the corner of the room, she returned to Zuko's bed, jumping up, and depositing herself next to his head, looking at him with innocent eyes. Zuko wondered how Midnight could have gotten into his room without his noticing. The door was still closed, so -

"Midnight?" a familiar thick voice hissed. "Midnight, where'd ye go, cat?" A panel on the left wall of the room swung open, and Helen tumbled out. She squeaked when she saw Zuko sitting up in bed, shirtless, and her cheeks went a bright, deep red.

"Sorry!" she gasped, darting back into the passage way. Zuko rolled his eyes.

"You don't have to hide, you know," he sighed. "It's not like I'm going to bite your head off."

"D-did ye know about the tunnel?" Helen asked, still slightly shaken.

"No," Zuko replied flatly. "Did you?"

Helen froze, and her face fell into a light deadpan. "How _could _I have known?" she reminded him. "I've only been here three days. Hardly enough time to see all o' this rig. It's bloody huge! Maybe half the size of Hogwarts, and that's sayin' somethin', Zuko. Hogwarts is enormous."

"I'm sure," the prince remarked, hardly interested. It was too early in the morning; the sun wasn't really even up yet.

"I-I'll just get Midnight an' go," the young witch muttered, crossing the room, scooping up her cat, and leaving through the tunnel. "Midnight, see what ye got me into?" Helen demanded once they were back in the dark tunnel. "Why couldn' ye have been in one o' the _empty _rooms? Why Zuko's? Ye _know _I get flabbergasted around boys. _Especially _older, _cute _boys! Ye did that on purpose, didn' yeh?" Her only response was a deep purr, and a rub from Midnight's head against her chest. "A'right, a'right, Midnight," she sighed. "I forgive ye." She stroked the cat's neck, rewarded by Midnight's deep purr. "I canna stay mad at you. But next time ye try to get me into a moment with a guy, make sure he at least has a shirt on?" Yawning, she wandered back through the panel into her own room, closed it tightly, and dropped onto the bed, Midnight jumping from her arms to the floor with an annoyed meow.

A few hours later, Helen was roused by Iroh's voice, gentle to keep from startling her.

"Huh? Wha'?" she slurred, still only half awake. "Wha's goin' on, Iroh? Wha's up?" The old man smiled at her.

"It's breakfast time, Helen," he explained.

"Ah." Throwing back the covers, Helen stood, and pulled her black robes on over her shirt and pants. She'd slept in them since it was her first night on a ship of men she didn't know. At Hogwarts, she hadn't been so 'shy', as she'd only had to sleep with the girls of Ravenclaw, and she knew them all well.

Pulling on her shoes, she stood and left the room, Iroh beside her.

"So," the witch asked as she and Iroh sat on the deck eating breakfast, "any idea when we'll be back in warm waters, Iroh?" Iroh shrugged.

"Not until Zuko realizes the Avatar isn't here, I'm afraid."

Helen sighed. "What's with 'im, anyway?" she asked, curious and worried. "Why's he so quiet? Why can't he go home without this Avatar? Why is there a war at all?"

Iroh shook his head. "Much I can not answer. You will have to ask Zuko if you want to know about why he is the way he is. It is a story I will not tell." He looked out to the sea, a sort of sad, distant light in his eyes. Helen cocked her head to the side, curious.

"Iroh?" she whispered. The older man turned back to her.

"I can't tell you everything, but I can tell you this;" he told her. "This war has always been about power. Who's better than the rest of the world. And Zuko? Well, the boy is confused. He is fighting between what he knows is right, and what is expected of him. That, and he was never very good with meeting new people. Give him time, and you will see, Helen. Zuko may seem cold on the outside, but there is a sweet, good boy inside him."

Helen looked over to the other side of the ship, where Zuko was practicing his bending. The flames were huge, and beautiful. But threatening. Far more dangerous than the little flicker that would appear at the tip of her wand. She watched him for a moment, before getting up and walking over to where he stood.

Zuko looked up at the approaching footsteps, and his eyes widened slightly. He hadn't expected to see Helen. Her red curls blew behind her in the sea-breeze, making her hair look shorter, accentuating her face. Zuko shook his head, wondering why he'd thought about that.

"Can I join ye?" the witch asked timidly, a slight smile on her face. Zuko's eyebrow raised.

"I thought you weren't a bender?"

Helen shook her head. "I'm not. But those moves look familiar. Like the northern style o' Shaolin Kungfu. I had lessons in it when I was younger." Without another word, she swung into a low kick, and struck out. Zuko recognized the move as classic firebending, and suddenly, he could imagine Helen as a firebender, and instead of black robes over a strange shirt and pants, he saw red and gold armor. In place of red curls, he saw black tresses, pulled into the classic fire Nation style, and he saw her green eyes turn to gold. Then he blinked, and she was back to herself, standing and smiling sheepishly up at him. "I'm a bit rusty, though. It's been a while since I practiced."

Iroh watched Helen and Zuko, and smirked. Though neither was aware of it yet, they obviously felt an attraction to each other. It was funny, how something could be so noticable to an outsider, but to the two involved, it was impossible to see. He wondered if Helen's presence could help Zuko find himself again. He certainly hoped so. Zuko needed someone his own age to open up to.

Helen laughed at something, and Zuko scratched the back of his neck nervously. Iroh sighed, wondering just what his nephew had said or did.

-

-

The next couple of days passed slowly. Zuko and Helen had spent a bit more time together, though it was clear there was still awkward newness that separated them. At the moment, Zuko was watching Helen as she moved through some of the firebending moves that could be used without bending that he'd showed her.

"More force!" he instructed. "If you don't put more force behind a move, you're never going to survive a fight!"

Helen rolled her eyes, sighing and straightening up, looking at Zuko.

"If I put as much force in as you do," she told him, "someone - me, or anyone near me when I fall flat on my face - is goin' ta get hurt." The witch leaned against the railing of the ship, gazing out at the ocean and the ice all around them.

"You're better than you give yourself credit for," Zuko snapped. "Now add more force!"

Helen groaned inwardly, and lashed out again, kicking the flat wooden target for all she was worth. It was strong wood, but her foot had made contact along the line of the grain. The target shattered, spilntering as it broke. She looked to Zuko, who nodded in aproval.

"I _told _you," he smirked. Helen rolled her eyes, grinning.

"Yes, thank ye, Mr. I'm right about my friend's abilities," she teased sarcastically, the friendly smirk never leaving her face. "I would _never _ha' broken the target without yeh."

Zuko looked at her, an unreadable expression crossing his face.

"Friends?" he asked, his voice slightly different than normal.

Helen nodded, confused by the almost shocked tone.

"Well, yeah," she replied. "I've been here about a week now, an' I know I don' know yeh that well, but yer nice to me, Zuko. I mean, you could be so mean, if yeh wanted. You're not like that, no matter how harsh ye may act at times."

Zuko's eyes flashed, but then he smirked slightly. He said nothing, but nodded, a grateful light in his eyes the only break in his neutral mask.

Helen smiled as she looked after Zuko. He was so sweet, even though he tried to act so cold. He was a good person, no matter who he was.

But she had to wonder; why was someone so kind inside on the side of this world's war fighting for world domination? And why was Iroh, for that matter? Most likely because his nephew was here, and Helen was not blind; she could see, as plainly as anyone who bothered to look could, that the toughness in Zuko was just a front, to protect a more vulnerable side, that would show itself, one day. It had to. Then maybe Zuko'd come around and see right from wrong. He just needed someone to show him.

Helen sighed. She was just about to go sit down with Iroh when a huge bolt of light shot up into the sky, catching everyone's attention. She felt someone move by her, and watched Zuko practically run to the front of the ship. From her angle, she could see the slightest hint of a smile on his face before it hardened.

She almost laughed, then. Zuko reminded her of Professor Snape! On occasion, she'd seen the slightest hint of emotion in Snape's normally cold eyes, or a tiny flicker of a smile followed quickly by emotionless neutrality. And now she was seeing it in Zuko. The next thing Zuko said, though, confused Helen, and brought her from her connections with a shiver, just from the way he spoke.

"Finally," the firebender hissed, gazing at the beam of light.

XxX  
Yep, I know it's short, but I had to get this part out so I could work on the next part. Review, please!


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